Author: falconi5

A place for musically minded folk to get together and share ideas, reviews, and basically spread the word.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (September 17, 2021)

With a corker of a week, this year is looking to be one of the best in recent memory on the new album front.

Perrenial favorites My Morning Jacket are front and center with a steller song and video, “Love, Love, Love.”

Wet Leg is a band on the rise with their ear-worm-worthy song, “Chaise Lounge.”

And, rockers Dangereens bring out their inner Mott the Hoople and T Rex on the scorching “Thieves.”

The Felice Brothers – From Dreams To Dust

Light and Breezy, From Dreams To Dust, is the first record released by The Felice Brothers since the critically acclaimed Undress in 2019. Leading off with “Jazz on the Autobahn,” a tune that is in contention for song of the year, to the mildly political “To-Do,” the story nuggets on display here are a bit on the eccentric side with a deep affinity for Richmond Fontaine and Deslondes real-life-noir storytelling.

Bringing to mind a slightly less verbose Bob Dylan or a distant relative of James McMurtry, the breezy stroll that the brothers Felice take you on will alter your mind. And, after listening to “Inferno,” you might feel differently about Kurt Cobain.

Charley Crockett – Music City USA

On the shortlist for classic country album of the year, Charley Crockett’s Music City USA covers all of the bases, including George George, Hank Williams, all the way to Bill Withers and beyond.

With the songwriting perfectly complementing his syrupy voice, “Are We Lonesome Yet,” and “The World Just Broke My Heart” are at the head of the class as standout tearjerkers.

The title track harkens back to Hank Sr., and the cover of “Skip A Rope” presented here wanders slightly into murder ballad territory, while “I’m Working” has a bit of New Orleans Jazz tilt. Whether it is Texas Swing, Classic Country, ’80s George Strait, or ’70s Outlaw Country, Charley Crockett can do it all.

Jose Gonzales – Local Valley

Local Valley, his first proper album since 2015’s Vestiges and Claws, spotlights Jose Gonzales at his pastoral best. Part Nick Drake, part Jim James, the virtuoso Lyndsey Buckingham style guitar work against the hushed vocals and textured production make this one a sipping an Americano in the garden listen.

Melodic and existential, “Valle Local” is hypnotic escapism at its best, “Lilla G” has a Belafonte rhythm to it, and the garden vibe of “Honey Honey” is about as calming as a song can get. 

Spend some solitude time with this soul-inspiring, heart-enhancing beauty of a record.

The Delevantes – A Thousand Turns

The Devalantes, brothers Bob and Mike Delevante, offer close-knit, skin-tight harmonies against a backdrop of infectious melodies, taut songwriting, and sparkling musicianship.

Sharing DNA with Neil Young and Tom Petty by way of The Bodeans, “Little By Little” is perfect mid-era Neil Young, “Come and Go” could have been on a 90’s John Hiatt record, and “If You Let It” brings the Everly Brothers into the mix.

There is no bad song on this record. A contemporary ear-guide might be Ray LaMontagne, but every tune presented here seems to sit on its own mantle, each one more tuneful than the last. “Junk Man” is downright Dylanesque, and “A Lot of My Mind” could have been on any of the early Byrds records. This exciting new find will be getting a lot of ear-play for many months to come.

Ronnie Wood & Friends – Mr. Luck: A Tribute to Jimmy Reed (Live at the Royal Albert Hall)

In the second installment of his live album trilogy, Ron Wood and his band released a tribute to Chuck Berry in 2019, now immortalizes Jimmy Reed, one of the founding fathers of the electric blues scene. Recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, this scorching album also features Mick Taylor, Mick Hucknall, Bobby Womack, and Paul Weller.

Sure, the guests are great here, but they never overwhelm the proceedings. The songs, rightly so, are played pretty close to the vest, and it doesn’t take long to hear the influence that Jimmy Reed had on The Rolling Stones. The highlights are many, most notably “Good Lover,” “Rock and Roll Rhumba,” and Paul Weller’s turn on “Shame Shame Shame.”

The solos are electrifying here with guest Mick Taylor, who Ron Wood replaced in the Rolling Stones, swapping licks, and the greasy harmonica will take you back to the delta. 

Five Cool Ones: Five New Records Released This Week (September 10, 2021)

The weather is cooling off just about the same time that the music is getting hotter. Stay tuned for a barrage of music to be released into the wild in front of the Christmas season.

In the meantime, Miley Cyrus, Elton John, and Yo-Yo Ma team up on a collaboration with Metallica on “Nothing Else Matters.”

Greta Van Fleet, the band that tagged as the next big thing in Rock and Roll, is out with a primo new video for “Built By Nations” from their 2021 L.P. The Battle at Garden’s Gate.

And, Charlie Starr and the boys from Blackberry Smoke deliver on a sublime version of Aerosmith’s “Hangman Jury.”

And, of course, everything is just a placeholder until the new Billy Idol record comes out. Here are five new albums that are tickling our ears this week.

The Vaccines – Back In Love City

Once you get past the aural oddity that the opening refrain of the title track, “Back In Love City,” has a bit of “Built This City,” the Starship hit in its DNA, you can kick back with a power-pop gem of a song and an earworm of the highest order. And the hits, don’t just stop there. 

“Alone Star” is a stadium rousing anthemic ear-de-force, and “Headphones Baby” shows off the band’s lyrical dexterity rhyming Thesaurus with Boris along with Americana and Nirvana on a song that is as euphoric as you will have heard all year.

Set against the fictional metropolis of love city, this one is an escapist record of the highest order and will be towards the top of any reputable end-of-the-year best-of list.

Daniel Romano – Cobra Poems

If there is such a thing as Pop-Swagger, Daniel Romano has it and then some. Along with his band, Daniel Romano’s Outfit, the prolific one, has released more than a dozen records spanning the genres from Matthew Sweet pop to country crooner, singer-songwriter, and beyond. Each one, seemingly better and more interesting than the last one. 

Here, the band exercises all of its powers on a set of songs that range from the Marc Bolan T-Rex-inspired “Tragic Head” to the slow-burning Lynryd Skynyrd meets Elvis Costello aura of “Nocturne Child.” The low and slow road ballad, “The Motions,” a song featuring the band’s secret weapon, Julianna Riolina handling the vocal duties, is worth the price of admission alone. 

Wrap your ears around this one and give it the care it deserves. To the listener go the spoils.

Colleen Green – Cool

There probably is not a better title that could have been chosen for this latest record by Collen Green than Cool. The pace is slow and collegial, with a meandering vibe that will take a few spins to hook you.

From the guitar-pop semi-swagger of “I Wanna Be Your Dog” that brings to the mids-ear just about every Sheryl Crow song to the slow burn of “Highway,” and the almost Krautrock drone of “Natural Chorus,” there is a sense of movement on this record that will drag you along for the ride. 

Heartless Bastards – A Beautiful Life

The Heartless Bastards are a powerful Americana three-piece fronted by vocal powerhouse Erika Wennerstrom. Opening with the anti-gaslighting anthem “Revolution,” the band’s first album in six years, the song pulls no political punches and this Ying to the Yang of “How Low,” that comments on the depths folks will go to achieve what they want regardless of the impact on others. 

The palate of songs presented here is about as diverse as you can get. “Photograph” is a cosmic cowboy, rambling masterpiece worthy of a Grateful Dead jam, “When I Was Younger” could have been a country-crooner classic from the ’70s, and “The River” featuring the violin of Andrew Bird is a swirling beauty.

If you like your Americana with a bit of realism mixed with psychedelic and atmospheric jams, then your ship has just come in.

Samantha Fish – Faster

The best female Blues guitarist this side of Bonnie Raitt, Samantha Fish, has officially delivered her freshest and most consistent record to date. Certainly leaning more towards the rock side of the blues-rock duality, the scorching opening title track sets a rocking mood that would make Lizzy Hale blush. The slinky and evocative “All Ice No Whiskey” veers toward the sensual side, and the closest she gets here to a ballad, “Imaginary War,” rings through like an Alanis Morisette lover scorned anthem. “Crowd Control” would be a perfect song for Bonnie Raitt to cover, and even the semi-reach here, the collaboration with Tech N9ne, is listenable even when the rap and the fury kick are on full display.

Blues, Rock, Pop, all are handled with equal aplomb here. The varied textures displayed along the journey make this a nuanced listen that will check off many favorable Boxes. 

Five Cool Ones: Five New Records Released This Week (September 3, 2021)

In the ebb and flow of the weekly new records reaching our ears, this week, albeit a little slow, has garnered a few happy hour gems to enjoy. And, after all, everything is just a placeholder until the new Robert Plant Alison Krause record comes out.

With a new E.P. in the works, Bastette is out with a new single in the Halestorm Pretty Reckless mold.

Amythyst Kiah continues to impress, delivering her unique blend of Soul Americana on this performance of “Firewater” from her recently released Wary + Strange record.

And, speaking of horrible band names, Temple Balls are out with their new single and video “Bad, Bad, Bad.”

And if that is not enough, here are five new albums that are getting heavy airplay in the halls of Rock is the new Roll.

Lady Blackbird – Black Acid Soul

A stunning fresh voice, Black Acid Soul, the debut album from Lady Blackbird (Marley Munroe), is a sparsely elegant masterpiece. Accompanied mainly by Deron Johnson, the go-to piano player for Miles Davis, the singer delivers a haunting set of Nina Simone-inspired tunes that could have been released in the ’60s instead of in the present and produced in the legendary Studio B in Sunset Sound.

Reflecting influences as diverse as Billie Holiday, Chaka Khan, and Gladys Knight, the version of Nina’s “Blackbird” delivered here is a nuanced gem, and “Five Feet Tall” is a torch song with a touch of Amy Winehouse DNA in it. The instrumental title track, as a closer, is a perfect way to wrap up an album that will be considered one for the ages.

Motorists – Surrounded 

Meshing together the irreverent pop-centric qualities of Camper Van Beethoven along with the controlled ramshackle energy of The Replacements, Toronto band Motorists will bring to mind many of your favorite ’80s college-rock bands.

“Vangloirous” has a bit of early REM dusting about it, “Latent Space” throws some krautrock in the mix, and “Walled Garden” has a “Radio Free Europe” vibe going for it. “Turn It Around” even as a Jarvis Cocker and Orange Juice aura that is refreshing to hear. 

This one is about as solid a debut record as we have heard in quite some time.

Pearl & The Oysters – Flowerland

You don’t have to go much past the opener “Soft Science” to figure out the Joire de vie on Flowerland, the latest psychedelic wonder from Pearl & The Oysters.

’60’s French Pop, space-age ’90s pop, and Austin Powers fab-mojo all come together to create a nostalgically forward sounding record that seems lost in time. While Syd Barrett, mid-era Beach Boys, and Jellyfish might be accurate touchpoints for this band, these guys are their very own unicorns. Rather than pick out a single song, this record is better digested as an entire entity. Put the needle down on the opener and let the rest of the album wash over you, enhancing your spirit and adding some soul inspiration to your life.

David Ferguson – Nashville No More

An Americana stalwart, David Ferguson has collaborated with everyone on the scene, including Sturgill Simpson, Charley Pride, Johnny Cash, John Prine, and Cowboy Jack Clement. Now, stepping out on his own with Nashville No More, he delivers on a solid set of tunes that highlight his skills as a singer songwriter in his own right.

Recruiting several of his Nashville pals on this new record, Margo Price joins him on “Chardonnay,” and bluegrass maestro Sierra Hull helps out on “Hard Times Come Again No More.” The cover of “Four Strong Winds” presented here is as good as a version gets, and the Jerry Jeff Walker vocal touch on “Boats to Build” is a homespun-sounding gem.

Gerry Rafferty – Resit in Blue

Collecting a series of demos, some going back as far as 1970, Gerry Rafferty’s daughter Martha has curated a set of songs that focus more on Rafferty vocals than delivering Stealers Wheel B-sides. Deep-cut Rafferty fans will love this record. The foreshadowing opener, “Still in Denial,” is a confessional of sorts as Rafferty died of liver disease in 2011. And, the version of “Dirty Old Town,” as presented here, is as good as it gets.

The song “Lost Highway” would have fit in nicely on any of the ’70s Rafferty solo albums, and, spoiler alert, there is a semi-demo version of “Stuck in the Middle With You,” of course.